Global Connections

OUR VIEWS - Learning to prospoer

If The Central Florida Community Mobilizes To Take Advantage Of International Opportunities, There Should Be No Stopping Us.

January 8, 1999|By Brown

A family from Brazil delights in Disney's Animal Kingdom, joining millions of foreign visitors and newcomers to the area each year.

A company in Holopaw, in Osceola County, imports Russian motorcycles, one of many Central Florida businesses making deals all over the world.

A Rollins College graduate signs on with a German manufacturer in the Orlando area, adding to the tens of thousands here with international-business jobs.

Is there any doubt that Central Florida - driven by tourism attractions - has arrived as an international center?

Of course not. The question, though, is what this region makes of that status. There should be no stopping us - if the entire community can become mobilized to take advantage of the opportunities.

You don't need to convince businesses in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties that already export or import. But what about other people who don't know or who perhaps are just beginning to appreciate how the Orlando area ties in with the world?

The effort must start with more awareness-building, including by this newspaper, which often comments on international issues. It doesn't do so simply because things are happening elsewhere. It strives to offer clear, helpful perspectives on often-complicated topics that affect the lives of readers.

Sometimes making the connection is a snap. An international event may tug at a reader's heartstrings, such as having loved ones on military duty in the Persian Gulf. Or cause readers to share in the pain, such as hurricanes that tore through Florida, the Caribbean and Central America in 1998.

Sometimes drawing the connection proves more difficult but no less important. For example, the Asian financial crisis crippled many countries last year, sending shocks through local businesses that sell goods in the Far East or buy products from there.

Such connections are becoming more common as travel, communications, trade and migration increase.

One way to help build awareness of the growing interdependence would be to launch a series of regional conferences on international issues. Those could be modest monthly sessions or more-ambitious quarterly or semi-annual events.

We're not talking about meetings purely to discuss business, although that certainly has a place. The conferences should be broader in scope and reach out to ordinary citizens. Give folks an opportunity to chat with specialists from various fields and professions. Planning should begin as soon as possible.

In addition, the region's umbrella group - the Metro Orlando International Affairs Commission - requires a sharper focus. The commission has done much to promote international connections. However, it needs a new game plan for the 21st century, one that should be outlined in time for the group's spring summit.

The people of Central Florida can't get enough help in dealing with the rapidly changing world at their doorstep.